Punjab mafia perpetuates loot
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, June 2: Despite the Government’s strict measures against mining mafia in the UT, the illegal mining goes unabated in various parts of J&K eating into the vitals of the society.
According to sources, mining mafia is giving slip to the officials in Kathua and Samba districts in Jammu region and Ganderbal district in Kashmir valley by indulging in illegal mining in various rivers and water bodies. The mafia has let loose a reign of terror in some parts and even harass the people who raise voice against them. The illegal mining has led to environmental hazards and affected the flora fauna also, they added.
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Sources said that in various parts of Kathua and Samba districts, the water level has depleted in rivers and it has been a cause of concern for the local people living nearby these rivers who said that their hand pumps have dried up as the water level has considerably gone very low in the rivers.
Sources said that due to lack of checking on illegal mining, the mafia at various places has even started digging near the abetments of bridges in the rivers posing a threat to them.
To protest against the illegal mining people have taken to streets at number of occasions but to no avail, sources said, adding recently people held a protest in Kot Panu in Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district where the father -son duo was killed by a dumper carrying mining material dug from river Ujh.
The locals said that mining mafia is so active in the area that they have emptied the entire river Ujh. Rakesh Sahni, a socio -political activist of the area said that people protested after this incident and blocked the road also demanding that the vehicles carrying mining material be not allowed to ply in the area during day time and even their movement be also restricted in night hours. Fifteen people have died in accidents caused by the vehicles carrying mining material in last three years as there is no check on these vehicles which carry double the load as per their capacity, he added.
The mining mafia is also active in Basantar river of Samba where 50 feet deep digging has been made in the river up to a stretch of six kilometers due to illegal mining, said Rakesh Kumar, a social activist. He said there was a Ghat near the Chichi Mata temple on Basantar river in Samba and devotees from Bari Brahmna to Ghagwal used to do immersion ceremonies at this Ghat during the Navratras every year but now this Ghat is nowhere and it has been totally damaged by the mining mafia who have dug the river 50 feet deep for extracting sand and bajri illegally.
He said out of 19 mining blocks 18 have been banned in the Samba district but the mafia indulging in illegal mining manages to give a slip to departmental officials. There is such a monopoly of the mafia that without number plate vehicles ply in the district carrying mining material. He warned that in case the practice of illegal mining continues the people will be left with no alternative but to launch protest.
In Kathua the mining mafia from Punjab is active in Ravi and Ujh rivers, said Premnath Dogra, ex councilor Municipal Committee Kathua. He said many crushers are functioning illegally in the district while some among those crushers which have permission are not complying with the norms fixed by National Green Tribunal (NGT). Even though the installation of weighing bridges are mandatory for all stone crushers but many have not complied with these directions issued by Geology and Mining Department.
He said maximum material from the area is taken to Punjab, Haryana and Delhi by the mafia. Even these vehicles fail to produce documents. This way the State exchequer is put to a heavy loss. The people in the UT face the shortage of building material also as the same is taken outside UT and sold on exorbitant rates, he added.
He said the mafia has perpetuated such loot that a truck of bajri and sand which was sold at Rs 600 up to 2020 is now being sold for Rs 2400. This has been the result of the highhandedness of the mafia, he added.
Dogra said maximum crushers in Ravi and Ujh basins are run by people from Punjab and they have perpetuated loot. The mafia have made Kucha roads in the Ravi and Ujh basin where from the vehicles carrying mining material are running to avoid the main routes on which the nakas have been installed by the authorities. Even the vehicles involved in illegal mining also cause accidents and fled, he added.
Dogra said that E Forms are being violated and the vehicle given permission of carrying mining material from Ravi go to any other place for excavation as per their will. Moreover, they fill their vehicles double the load allowed by the authorities, he added.
Sources said that mining mafia is also active in Wakura area of Ganderbal district. The illegal mining is being done in the water bodies and as well as streams evoking protests from the people. Sources said many water bodies have dried up in the area due to illegal mining after the mafia extracted sand and Bajri from there. Even the soil from Kahcharai land which is meant for grazing is being sold illegally said ex Sarpanch Wakura, Hilal Ahmed Parra. He said a cremation ground of Kashmiri Pandits having three Kanals of land at Ganwara near Shadipora of Ganderbal district has been encroached.
However District Development Commissioner, Samba, Abhishek Sharma said that constant vigil is being made by the authorities to contain the illegal mining in his district. He said action has been intensified against the mafia in Samba district and no let up is given to those indulging in illegal mining. In last one month the authorities in Samba have done highest kind of enforcement and joint teams have been constituted to maintain vigil.
DC said that he convened a meeting recently of all concerning departments asking them to turn tough against the mining mafia and ensure zero tolerance against the illegal mining in the district.
The Mining Department authorities also said that constant vigil is being maintained against illegal mining and action against rules is being taken against the defaulters. District Mining Officer, Kathua Rajinder Singh said that in Kathua Rs 4.25 crore were recovered as fine for illegal mining besides other legal action was also taken against the mafia.
Admitting that Punjab based mafia is active as Ravi river bordering both J&K and Punjab, he said the illegal crushers were closed besides 600 vehicles and 150 machines were seized for illegal mining. He said that pollution documents are with every stone crusher. However, after two or three years they have to be renewed from the concerned Department. Sometimes this takes time. However in such cases the Department issues closure notice to such crushers.
He said in Ujh river four leases are active while one is active in Ravi river from which the material is lifted legally.
District Mining Officer, Samba, Mohammed Syed said that the Department is taking action and even today nine vehicles including two excavators have been seized at different places in the district which were indulging in illegal mining so no question of slackness on part of Department arises. To check illegal mining the Government has constituted Committees at district and tehsil level. While the Committee at district level is headed by DC concerned as Chairman and that of Tehsil level is headed by Tehsildar concerned.
He said whenever any report about illegal mining is lodged by the concerned Nambardar and Chowkidar in their area, the Committee takes quick action and the vehicles involved are seized and penalty imposed.
He said in Samba out of 19 blocks 18 are banned at present and there is a Regulatory Body known as JK Environment Impact Assessment Authority for environmental clearance and hopefully it will take up these cases soon and issue clearance.
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